New Garmin D2 Delta watch

I think it's a nice looking watch but no way I'm paying that for a watch. I also can't really imagine a reason I would look at my watch for nav over my GPS, then Ipad, then Iphone. I guess if you wanted a 4th backup.
 
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Looks like they added a pulse ox sensor. That is new. Radar overlay is new, but that is an app. This one is based on the Fenix 5, I believe, but the Fenix 5 doesn't have the pulse ox sensor. I think I am just going to end up with a ForeRunner 935 (pretty much a Fenix 5 with a plastic case).
 
The watch is based on the newly released Fenix5 Plus.
DC Rainmaker has an extensive write up about the Fenix 5 Plus.
I have a Fenix 3 that "neeeds" to be upgraded anyhow. And another navigation backup in the plane is never bad. Who knows my 430, the VOR, the ADF, the ipad, the android pad, and the phone might all fail at the same time.
 
TimRF79 said:
The watch is based on the newly released Fenix5 Plus.
DC Rainmaker has an extensive write up about the Fenix 5 Plus.
I have a Fenix 3 that "neeeds" to be upgraded anyhow. And another navigation backup in the plane is never bad. Who knows my 430, the VOR, the ADF, the ipad, the android pad, and the phone might all fail at the same time.
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DC Rainmaker personally uses an FR 935, though, which speaks volumes. It is half the weight, which matters when you are running and seems to have everything the Fenix 5 Sapphire has. I don't really compete anymore though, so it is somewhat overkill and my FR 220 still works fine, so it is hard to justify $429. My brother has a Fenix 3 and loves it. I don't think I would use it as an everyday watch, though.
 
John221us said:
DC Rainmaker personally uses an FR 935, though, which speaks volumes. It is half the weight, which matters when you are running and seems to have everything the Fenix 5 Sapphire has. I don't really compete anymore though, so it is somewhat overkill and my FR 220 still works fine, so it is hard to justify $429. My brother has a Fenix 3 and loves it. I don't think I would use it as an everyday watch, though.
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Interesting, I had the Fenix3 Saphire since it came out and could never share any concerns about weight.
However this may be as weight is a perceived relative, being 6'6" and around 210lbs when I got it, the watch does not seem big.
Now after having it for years, I barely notice it.
 
O2 sensor is cool, but otherwise don’t think I’d be interested in navigating or viewing nexrad on a 1” round screen, when I have so many other larger screens in the cockpit.
 
TimRF79 said:
Interesting, I had the Fenix3 Saphire since it came out and could never share any concerns about weight.
However this may be as weight is a perceived relative, being 6'6" and around 210lbs when I got it, the watch does not seem big.
Now after having it for years, I barely notice it.
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I don't have particularly large wrists. It is pretty big on me and I fear the weight, flopping around, would bother me.
 
I just looked at the 5 plus. The 5X Plus now has the Pulse Ox sensor. The maps are nice and the music, but I am not sure that justifies the price increase for me.
 
I have the "old" 5x Sapphire which I got free from a conference I attended. When I first got it, it looked huge on my wrist, and was noticeably heavier then the 920xt I would wear while running. I got used to the weight and size after a couple of days, and it does not flop around on my wrist, provided I tighten the band. I'm not sure I'd own a 5x if I would have had to pay for it when I had a perfectly good 920xt. Although I stopped wearing a watch a couple of years ago, I did start wearing the 5x all the time.
 
Reklats said:
I have the "old" 5x Sapphire which I got free from a conference I attended. When I first got it, it looked huge on my wrist, and was noticeably heavier then the 920xt I would wear while running. I got used to the weight and size after a couple of days, and it does not flop around on my wrist, provided I tighten the band. I'm not sure I'd own a 5x if I would have had to pay for it when I had a perfectly good 920xt. Although I stopped wearing a watch a couple of years ago, I did start wearing the 5x all the time.
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Nice door prize. In my line of work (I.T) I am lucky to get a bottle opener. Well, I did get a Bluetooth headset a few months ago (Plantronics Voyager 5200). That's still not a 5x Sapphire.
 
I was seriously considering a Garmin watch for backup. My current backup is a $60 BLU phone with no carrier, so it's basically a mini tablet. It's awful. Truly you get what you pay for. Garmin Pilot barely works on it, and I ran out of space long ago. Obviously I could get another junk phablet, with a bit more flash and RAM. But I'm tired of poverty, so the watch looks attractive. I just don't know how long it's going to last.
 
I’ve seen some of the garmin aviation watches come up for sale, often soon after purchase, this isn’t a good sign.

Also they are yuuuuge

I know some guys with the nice summoto (sp) GPS watches, between battery life and all, meh

I’d just get a nice automatic chrono or a quartz simple citizen basic chrono, or dive bezel, and let your watch be a watch.

OR, for the price of a garmin wrist anchor

Basic citizen watch and a iPad mini
 
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zaitcev said:
I was seriously considering a Garmin watch for backup. My current backup is a $60 BLU phone with no carrier, so it's basically a mini tablet. It's awful. Truly you get what you pay for. Garmin Pilot barely works on it, and I ran out of space long ago. Obviously I could get another junk phablet, with a bit more flash and RAM. But I'm tired of poverty, so the watch looks attractive. I just don't know how long it's going to last.
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It seems like it gets a major refresh every couple of years, though my brother is still using his Fenix 3 with no issues, which is probably 4 years old. It isn't going to last forever, but I would expect 5 to 7 years to be a reasonable expectation.
 
I agree with @John221us ... it’s a good door prize. One I’d sell on eBay right when I got home.

I had a bravo for a week. I really wasn’t impressed and I returned it. This certainly has more features than the Bravo. But it’s the same story.

I’ll stick to my snobby automatic watches and like @James331 said... let my watch be a watch. And a much cooler one :)
 
This thread reminds me... I have a Citizen Skyhawk aviators watch I need to sell

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I have a Garmin D2, fly about 60 hours a year, mostly XC and I think it's basically worthless. I flew 9 hours last week with it and really see no need at all for it. Now, if your a snobbish watch guy, sure, it's a novelty. But otherwise, it's really not worth it. My biggest complaint is how short the battery life is. It has to be charged every day.
 
Unit74 said:
I have a Garmin D2, fly about 60 hours a year, mostly XC and I think it's basically worthless. I flew 9 hours last week with it and really see no need at all for it. Now, if your a snobbish watch guy, sure, it's a novelty. But otherwise, it's really not worth it. My biggest complaint is how short the battery life is. It has to be charged every day.
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The battery life is one of the things they have improved. It does 32 hours with 1 second GPS polling, now and without GPS it will go a long time (in watch mode). Where it really shines is as an exercise watch, especially multi-sport, such as a triathlon. If you are just getting it for wearing in the plane as a GPS backup, then I agree, it isn't the best tool for that. If you also happen to need an uber (not the car company) exercise watch, you might be able to justify it.
 
TimRF79 said:
The watch is based on the newly released Fenix5 Plus.
DC Rainmaker has an extensive write up about the Fenix 5 Plus.
I have a Fenix 3 that "neeeds" to be upgraded anyhow. And another navigation backup in the plane is never bad. Who knows my 430, the VOR, the ADF, the ipad, the android pad, and the phone might all fail at the same time.
Click to expand...

All kidding aside, of course... if they *did* all fail simultaneously, it would be because of a GPS outage, and the fancy wrist jewelry wouldn't be of any use. But I can see how one could justify having it, anyway. ;)
 
Doug F said:
Pffttt...you want's expensive? I gots yer 'spesive right here.
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I'm not a Breitling guy. I wish I was since they're allllll over the world of aviation and airshows. They're pretty iconic. I just think they're a bit gaudy. I could see it in a rap video, not a cockpit.
 
OK, real world use of a D2 Bravo here. On my private checkride, I was fumbling with the GPS headed back to the airport to knock out the landings after doing the maneuvers. Due to my nerves, I couldn't find the page that showed how far I was from the nearest airport so I could do my best to make accurate radio calls. I quickly brought up the nearest airport on the D2 Bravo, much to my examiner's admiration for using all cockpit resources. I'm certainly not advocating that is should be used for primary navigation, but it can be useful at times.
 
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I have a Bravo Titanium.

I would not recommend a Garmin watch to anyone. Honestly.

It’s a mediocre fitness watch with Aviation apps crammed on top of it. Poorly.
 
asicer said:
I might have missed it in the "Overview" descripton, but does it tell time?
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Funny you should mention that.

Once it detects you’ve taken off by altitude, it launches the “Aviation” activity (it treats Aviation like any other fitness activity, not like a well thought out built in feature set...) and the hardest thing to figure out is how to exit it...

... to see what time it is.
 
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